Material-handling apparatus



Feb. 10. 1925.

T. H. KNEEBONE MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS Filed May 27. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 10. 1925.

T. H. KNEEBONE MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS Filed May 27, 1922 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 @QMM Patented Feb. 10, 1925.

UNITED STATES THOMAS H. KNEEBONE, or EVELETH, mmnnsora.

MATERIAL-HANDLING APPARATUS.

Application filed May 27, 1922. Serial No. 564,212.

To all 1071 am it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS H. KNEE- BONE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Eveleth, in the county of St. Louis and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Material-Handling pparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a new and improved material handling apparatus and more particularly to an apparatus designed to size and separate material such as iron ore or the like.

In the handling of iron ore, the ore as mined consists of fine ore, coarser ore, and largechunks of ore and of rock. It is customary to pass the material over a grizzly or similar separating device in order to separate the coarser material and the larger chunks from the fine material. After the separation of the fine material, it is customary to again divide the coarse material from the large chunks and to crush the coarse material. While in general, the large chunks consists of rock or material other than ore, nevertheless, a certain proportion of these chunks are composed of ore. Consequently, if all the largerchunks are passed to the waste pile, there is a certain amount of loss of ore.

In certain installations, it has been the practice, to dump the ore as it comes from the mine upon a chain grizzly adapted to separate the fine material, then to pass the remaining material to a bar grizzly which permits the coarse material to pass through and which guides the large chunks to a waste bin. As has been stated, this waste bin thus receives a certain amount of ore which is carried to the waste pile and which is lost. I

It isan object of the present invention to provide a material handling apparatus adapted to be operated to selectivelyhandle material of the same size and to divide it .into two lots.

It is a further object to provide an apparatus adapted to be moved into and out of the flow of material to be operated on whereby the material may be selectively treated.

It is an additional object to provide an apparatus comprising a relatively fixed separating device and a movable separating device adapted to be moved into and out of the flow of material flowing from the first separatingdevice whereby the overs from the first separating device may be selectively handled.

Other and further objects will appear as the description proceeds.

I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a material handling plant embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a view as seen from the left of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a plan view showing the relation of the two separating devices.

Referring first to Figures 1 and ,2, the ore as it comes from the mines is brought in on car 6 running upon tracks 7 and is dumped onto the chain grizzly 8. As best shown in Figure 1, this grizzly 8 is supported upon suitable rolls 9 and is driven by end roll 10 so that its upper or working run moves to the left as seen in Figure 1. Below this grizzly 8 is bin 11. The bin discharges through chutes 12 upon .conveyo'r"13.

Located at the left end of the chain grizzly is the bar grizzly 14 which is him ed at 15 to the supporting structure. The Y ee end of the bar rizzly is connected by chain 16 to piston 1 operating in cylinder 12}. Movement of the piston in the cylinder 1s caused by air or steain entering through pipe 19 and controlled by valve 20.

Below the bar grizzly 1 4: is the crusher 21. The chute 22 from the crusher discharges upon a conveyor 23 adapted to carry the crushed material to the conveyor 13v which latter extends adjacent bin 11. Beyond the bar grizzly 14 is located the waste bin 24, which bin discharges through chute 25 into car 26. v

It will be clear from Figures 2 and 3 that the spacing between the chains of the chain grizzly is less than that between the b'ars of the bar grizzly. Consequently, the fine material passes through the chain grizzly into the bin 11. The coarse material and. the large chunks pass from the chain grizzly to the bar grizzly. The coarse material passes between the b'ars or bar grizzly and falls into the crusher 21 in which it is crushed to a suitable fineness.

The large chunks pass down the bar grizzly into the waste bin. As has been stated, the'large chunks consist in p'art of ore and if the bar grizzly remains in the position shown in Figures 1 and 2, this ore is lost. However, the large chunks of oremay be readily distinguished from the rock or waste either by the eye or by striking them with a hammer or other suitable tool. In the use of my invention, an'operator will be stationed adjacent the chain grizzly in position to operate the valve 20. When large chunks of Waste or rock appear passing along the chain grizzly, the bar grizzly will be permitted to remain down and will separate out such chunks. When, however, large chunks of ore are observed to pass, steam or air,will be permitted to enter the cylinder below the piston and will swing the bar grizzly upward so that; all material including both the coarse material and the large chunks of ore, will fall into the crusher.

Thus when my invention is properly operated, the waste of large chunks 'ol ore will be eliminated and only rock and other Waste material will be caught by the bar grizzly and carried to the waste bin. This method of operation results in the very considerable saving in ore which would otherwise be lost.

My invention is applicable to other forms of separating apparatus and it is my intention to cover all such modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Material handling and selecting apparatus comprising a relatively fixed grizzly havin movable elements adapted to pass material therefrom, a movable grizzly 10- cated adjacent the fixed grizzly and normally out of the path of material passing therefrom, and means for holding the movable grizzly in its normal position and for moving the movable grizzly into the path of material to selectively remove larger masses from the flowing material.

2. Material handling and selecting appa ratus comprising a relatively fixedgrizzly having movable elements adapted 'to pass material therefrom, a movable grizzly adapted to permit the passage of larger pieces of material than the fixed grizzly, said grizzly being pivotedly secured adjacent the fiXed grizzly and normally out of the path of material passing therefrom, and means for holding the movable grizzly in its normal position and for moving the. movable grizzly into the path of material to selectively remove larger masses from the flowing material.

3. Material handling apparatus comprisinga chain grizzly, a hopper adapted to receive material P3581110 through said grizzly, a bar grizzly, an air cylinder having a piston connected to, the bar grizzly and adapted to move it into and out of position to receive material passing from the chain grizzly, and a crusher adapted to receive material passing through the bar grizzly when in position, and adapted when the bargrizzly is out of position to receive material passing from the chain grizzly.

Signed at Duluth, Minnesota, this 10th day of May, 1922.

THOMAS, H. KNEEBONE- 

